Wonderful Welsh - and how to start learning any language

Problem
I want to learn Welsh. Why. A relative of mine protests, "What for? Even the Welsh don't speak Welsh!"

Answers
I'd like to understand the words of Welsh songs. On a visit to Wales, or going though my old CDs, I sit listening to a harpist or Welsh male voice choir. What are they singing about? I would be so much more interesting if I understood the words.

I have started learning Welsh with d u o l i n g o.com (spaces inserted to evade the automatic spell checker).

To keep myself on track and help you I've made a list of the words and my memory aids.

In a notebook I number the pages in the top corner. On the inside cover, I draw a margin and draw a series of horizontal lines with a ruler. I list the pager numbers down the margin. Then, if I have the Welsh on only one page, I can quickly find it. Here is my starter list of words.

Welsh - English
coffee - coffi

English - Welsh
Mum -

An alternative is to list your words in a blog, as I have. Or write them in Notes in your phone. Read them whenever you are waiting for a bus or train.
More later.

Useful Websites
duolingo.com
visitwales.com
visitbritain.com

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourite posts.

How To Add An Index, Contents Page, Page Number To Travel Notebooks

Problem - How To Keep Order Inside Language Notebooks

I have been making lists of German, Spanish and Italian words in my notebook as I do my daily lessons on Duolingo and add words picked up from other sources such as emails, newspaper articles, Facebook pages and food packaging. However, I now need to find the notebook pages which are only half full, and to use them to revise.

Answers - How To Organize Language Lists

 - Advantages Of Separate Notebooks

You might be wondering why I don't have a separate notebook for each language. I started doing that.  I would do that if I were taking language lessons in a class, instead of only online.

Advantages Of One Notebook

But I soon had a book for German, a book for French, a book for Spanish, Another for Latin, Greek, Welsh. The books cluttered up the working space and it took time stopping to find another book each time I found a new word. It was easier to have them all in one place, one notebook.

Notebook Size and Weight

I would also have to carry six or more notebooks with me on any trip out. The same applies on long travel.

Advantages of Small Notebooks

I soon started having one small, fat, thick notebook. It has a ribbon page marker and an elastic pen holder. It is small enough to go in my shoulder bag, and many jacket pockets.

The advantage of carrying it with me is that I can add words I think of or see or hear during the day.
The problem with taking the notebook out of my home or office is that I might lose it.

Advantages of Large Notebooks

My other book is A5 size and stays at home on the desk or nearby. Being large and brightly coloured, it is easier to find in a hurry on a cluttered desk or side table.

At this point the pages on languages need to be easy to find. They must be separate from other items such as To Do lists, travel directions, lists of websites, comic poems I compose and songs.

How To Number Notebook Pages

I now do what I should have done the day I started the notebook. It's what I have done to notebooks in the past. I write the page numbers on the top right of each right hand page, the odd numbers. Later, if I have the time and energy I will go back and write in the even numbers.

Indexes Hand-written

I can write an index on the back page and / or on the inside back cover.
If you start early in the book's usage history, you can count the number of pages first and leave enough lines for one line per page. I often draw a line down the middle of the index page or fold the page in two vertically to get more words on a page. This applies particularly on the larger A4 size book because the pages are so large. But it also applies to the smaller book because I want to cram in as many words as possible in that compact book before starting another to fill up my dwindling shelf space.

Creating Contents Pages List In A Notebook

Today I discovered another trick for finding space for the contents list. I had run out of space on the inside back cover, the back page and the front page. I closed my notebook and looked down at the blank front cover.  I thought, at least I can write down the subjects on the cover, the contents alphabetically, like I do on the outside of box files, without listing the pages.

I started to write the contents of the first page on the top left. Then I thought, I can make a complete index. The page already has a frame. A divided it into three columns. I counted the pages. Under 100. That meant about 30-page numbers down the left of each column. I listed the numbers, then drew horizontal lines with the aid of a ruler.

I tried to keep the handwriting neat. I wrote in capitals. I wrote slowly. I took care to keep the letters on the line, not floating above and not doing diagonally.

It would be neater to print the contents. When I have time I shall do so. There's nothing stopping me from sticking a neat type-written list on top of my hand-written contents list.

Storing Language Notebooks

Where do I find my latest notebook on languages? Alongside my dictionary of that language. Or in a shoe box or box file labelled with the name of the language.

Author

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Teacher of English and other languages.

Please share links to your favourite posts.

Making a travel diary from any notebook

You can make a travel diary and/or dictionary from any notebook.

The bigger the notebook the more space you have to write. A large hardback notebook could go in a backpack.

However, a big notebook can be heavy to carry around. Sometimes, when I am away for a weekend, or taking a weekend or day trip by plane or train or ferry, I travel light with just a small notebook in my pocket.

Bulk Buy for Savings
Where to buy a notebook? I buy in bulk, sets of three notebooks.  In a cheap shop such as Poundland. Notebooks with ribbon markers.

Same Colours or Varied Colours?
A set of same colour notebooks, for one long trip, or different colours show which country is which.

Flag Cover
You could mark each travel notebook with the flag of the country. Print out the flag if you have a colour printer. (Flags on Wikipedia for that country or under flags.) Or print in black and white to save ink and go over the coloured section with a felt tip pen.) Your home diary has your home country flag. Very quick even to send somebody else to look for your home diary or travel trip diary.

Fancy Covers - Guard Against Loss
Fancy covers are ideal for a notebook to take to a conference, where so often somebody leaves behind their clipboard or notebook or both. So if I leave mine behind on a desk, as I leave a room I glance back and I can spot it at a distance, on the desk or under my chair. I immediately know its mine. Even strangers will remember that I was the lady with the notebook with the peacock or rainbow or cats on the cover, and return it to me, or tell me the room where they saw it left behind.

DIARY BOX AND PHOTO BOX
The First thing I do is label the front and back covers and the spine with the country and date.
Prepare your show box to store the diary and label your shelf so the shoe box always goes back the same place. You might keep your diaries alongside the dictionary and travel guide. Or a photo box. Label the photo box on all sides with the name of the country, and date and possibly also season.

COVER/TITLE, INDEX, PAGE NUMBERS
Your travel diary needs a COVER, TITLE, INDEX and PAGE NUMBERS.
Start with a box for a title, possibly underneath a box for a flag or photo. Alternatively print a flag or photo as background, inserting a box for the title. You can write in the title by hand or print it.

Use the font of your choice and enlarge it to fit the front cover, horizontally. If you print it too big, it may fit long ways or even diagonally.

Label the back cover and spine, if any. Or use a box as cover. Or reinforce the cover with white card stuck on or folded over and attached with glue at the spine, or just with a ribbon like a restaurant menu.

Make an index at the front and another contents at the back. At least write the words index at the top.

Count the number of pages. Ideally you should have that number of lines, one for each page. If the number of pages is, for example 50, but you have only 25 lines per page, you have a choice. Make the inside cover the index and draw lines in pencil.  Divide the index page into two vertically and write - or print - small. Continue the index on the back inside cover or back page.

It's important to start the index before you start writing. The first time I wrote a travel diary in a notebook, I forgot the index and then had too little room at the end of the book for a contents list, which was longer than the inside back cover.

PAGE NUMBERS
Rather than counting pages, then numbering pages, number pages, then you get the word count.

If there are a large number of pages, number pages 1 2 and 3, then only the odd numbers. You could write numbers top right. Unless you like to turn down or tear off page corners. I usually number pages in erasable pencil the first time, then go back and write neatly in pen. You might decide to start numbering after the index, rather than have pages 1-3 listed as index.

TITLE PER PAGE
You might write a title on each page - especially if it's a loose leaf notebook, a Filofax, or a ringbinder.
You could write out generic headings with dots such as
Date .............................
Country .......................
City .............................

Printed DIY Diary
You could print your own diary. Some companies will print a dairy for you with a title and cover photo.

Or print pages with headings and dotted or solid lines, boxes for photos or drawings, page numbers. Print a cover. Use a stapler which does up to 6 pages. Or carry the pages in a folder. Later punch two holes and tie it all together with ribbon.

HONEYMOON AND VIP TRIP GIFT BOOKS
For a special journey such as a honeymoon, anniversary, trip to see grandchildren in Australia/overseas, print a book with photos and text. Use your handwritten notes to print off the day's event's each day.

BLOG BOOK
Write a blog on your trip and create a blogbook. Do not reveal you are away if your home is empty. Even if it isn't, you don't want granny, plus children, housesitter, flatmate, neighbours, cats, dogs and budgies, surprised by phone calls and knocks at the door day or night.

You might write up your blog after the event, for example, the Monday and Tuesday after a weekend away. You could even reminisce a month later, or produce a book a year later, or when you retire.

RETURN ADDRESS
You might put your address and return to details on the back cover. For security you might prefer your address on the inside cover, in which case you will probably want your index starting on page 1 and not on the inside cover.

For security, instead of revealing your home address when away travelling, you could give the address of a relative or neighbour or your office - or your hotel.

Angela Lansbury BA Hons, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

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